All posts tagged Twain Quotes

Mark Twain, 1835 – 1910

Mark Twain, the pen name for Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is an American author. He is best known for his novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

I read and write Urban Fantasy so I feel I can share this experience and maybe even be believed because,

The Paranormal World is Alive (and dead) in the far west Boonies of Chicago!

I recently found Mark TwainIN my Kindle and through a glitch of sorts contacted his spirit. I took advantage of this phenomena and asked him for writing advice.

We got off to a rocky start but worked it out.“Please call me Karen, may I call you Mark or do you prefer Samuel?”
Silence and a scowl.“That’s Mr. Twain to you until you actually publish a book, Mrs. LeRosier.” “O…kay. In that case it’s Ms. LeRosier please.” “Good we understand each other, Mrs. LeRosier.”

I do wonder why he felt entitled to be so uppity. I may be a lowly unpublished writer, but Mr. Classic Writer had to recycle his famous quotes to answer every one of my questions. I guess even ghosts put on airs-or should I call it it vapors?

Top Ten Answers from Mr. Twain

Mrs. LeRosier: I think I could finally finish my books if life’s obligations would leave me alone and people wouldn’t call me when I’m writing. How did you cope with this issue? Mr. Twain: Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.

Mrs. LeRosier: I’ve studied a few models for plot structure but each one is touted as the only viable way to write. Which one should I use? Mr. Twain: Ideally a book would have no order to it, and the reader would have to discover his own.

Mrs. LeRosier: I spend a great deal of research time for my novels. Is research a wasting time for a fiction writer, especially for Urban Fantasy? Mr. Twain: Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.

Mrs. LeRosier: My novel Illuminated Rifts has characters that are loosely based on real people, family and friends. Is this a bad idea? Mr. Twain: Don’t tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.

Mrs. LeRosier: I find writing fantasy more difficult since I have to ground the fantastical to make it plausible enough for readers to suspend disbelief. Any thoughts? Mr.Twain: It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.

Mrs. LeRosier: Spelling is my weakest writing skill, fortunately I write in the age of spell check. Was spelling a problem in your writing and time? Mr. Twain: I don’t give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.

Mrs. LeRosier: I believe self-publishing will give me the greatest odds of success with my books, any advise? Mr. Twain: All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure.

Mrs. LeRosier: “Show-Don’t tell” is probably the most common advise given to new writers. (Don’t tell the reader the character is angry, show them through actions and description of body language.) What say you? Mr. Twain: Words are only painted fire; a look is the fire itself.

Mrs. LeRosier:Illuminated Rifts, an Urban Fantasy, and Geocaught, A Romance are my current WIPs (works in progress.) Some friends and family say books in these genres are not real literature, can never become a classic. Is this true? Mr. Twain:Classic:A book which people praise and don’t read. Note: I mentioned that many Mark Twain novels are considered classics and he muttered something that sounded like, they weren’t when it counted.

Mrs. LeRosier: I’m over 50 years old and some people think becoming an author at this age is a pipe dream. Mr. Twain: Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.

Hope you enjoyed Mr. Twain’s words of wisdom.

Thank you to Brainy Quotes for the extensive list of Mark Twain quotes I cherry picked.